Baby panda Xiang Xiang makes a special appearance debut in Tokyo's Ueno Zoo

Xiang Xiang melted the hearts of hundreds of lucky fans who managed to obtain zoo tickets, many wearing panda-themed clothes.

Tokyo's new baby panda debuted formally on 19 December, immediately melted the hearts of hundreds of lucky fans who managed to obtain zoo tickets. (Photo | AP) 

Xiang Xiang, which means fragrance in Chinese, was born in June at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo to its resident panda. The zoo and its neighborhood have celebrated the female panda's healthy growth, especially after the death of a days-old baby five years ago. (Photo | AP)

Many visitors decorated themselves or their children with panda motifs on hats, scarves and even shoes and jackets, or wore black-and-white jackets. (Photo | AP)

Only 2,000 people were allowed into the panda house, with tickets distributed through a lottery. Zoo officials said Xiang Xiang's public appearances will be limited for the time being to minimize the stress. (Photo | AP)

During the two and half hour viewing session, Xiang Xiang entertained her visitors by crawling on the ground, following her mother Shin Shin, climbing a tree and playing with bamboo branches. The visitors held up smartphones trying to capture every antic of the slow-moving baby panda during their less than 10 minutes of viewing time. (Photo | AP)

In pic: Miu Suwazono, a six-month-old girl, wearing clothes featuring panda waits at Ueno Zoo to see six-month-old female giant panda cub Xiang Xiang. (Photo | AP)

In and outside the zoo, panda goods of all kinds were on sale, including stuffed panda dolls, cookies, sweet buns and bread. (Photo | AP)

Female giant panda cub Xiang Xiang, left, walks beside her mother Shin Shin at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo. She is Tokyo’s new idol. (Photo | AP)

Since October, dozens of zoo keepers and officials have participated in Xiang Xiang's training so she will become used to the presence of people around her compartment. (Photo | AP)